Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops: Freshman running back Keith Ford 'has to learn to take care of the football'

Freshman running back Keith Ford fumbled in the first half of Saturday's win over Kansas. PHOTO BY SARAH PHIPPS, THE OKLAHOMAN

NORMAN — True freshman running back Keith Ford has quickly become a fan favorite because of his bruising, powerful running style.

The last two weeks, though, he’s also shown a tendency to fumble the ball. Against Texas, his fumble went out of bounds, but Saturday against Kansas, Ford fumbled deep in Jayhawks territory in the first half, costing Oklahoma potential points.

Ford didn’t play again after the fumble.

Asked how long it would take Ford to re-earn playing time, Stoops said, “We don’t have a penance period. … When we feel that he’s earned his right to be out there and he’ll take care of the ball.

“He’ll play; it’s not the end of the world for Keith. He’s a great young man, a great kid that works hard and a great player. He just has to learn to take care of the football. That’s two games in a row for him. He hasn’t had that many carries and two of them were on the ground.”

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by Jason Kersey

OU Sports Reporter

Jason Kersey became The Oklahoman's OU football beat writer in May 2012 after a year covering high school sports and OSU recruiting. Before joining the newspaper in November 2006 as a part-time results clerk, he covered high school football for...